In golf, your ball speed in -- the speed your ball attains just after impact -- depends on how fast you swing and on how squarely you strike the ball. Increased ball speed means more power and, all else being equal, more distance on your golf shots. Be careful, however, that your quest for more power doesn’t come at the cost of decreased accuracy. Increasing your ball speed won’t be effective if you hit balls into hazards or out of bounds.

Increase Golf Ball Speed

Step 1

Improve your swing speed to help generate more ball speed. The exact improvement you need depends on the strengths and weaknesses of your swing. To determine the part of your swing that needs improvement, hit three balls in succession off a practice tee. Focus on speeding up your body during the downswing of your first attempt. Try to move your arms faster on your second try and then speed up your hands on the third swing. Repeat the drill a few times if necessary to establish a larger sample size. Select the change that yields the best results and continue practicing, while focusing on your selected change.

Step 2

Place impact tape on your clubface before hitting a ball at the driving range. Observe the tape after striking the ball to see if you’ve hit the sweet spot, which helps generate more ball speed. Repeat this test for several shots with different clubs -- a wood and an iron, for example -- to detect a pattern. Make swing adjustments depending on the results of your test. For example, if you tend to hit the ball too close to the heel of the clubface, try standing a bit farther from the ball, or focus on rotating your hips more during your downswing.

Bend your hands toward the target by flexing your wrists after you strike the ball, rather than keeping your wrists in a stiff, neutral position. Practice this move by hitting balls on the driving range with only your right hand on the club -- or your left, if you’re left-handed. Focus on snapping your wrist after impact, as if you were going to throw the club along the target line.

Step 4

Shift your weight aggressively from your back foot to the front foot to generate more clubhead speed during your downswing. In his book "How I Play Golf," Tiger Woods says that 80 percent of your weight should be over your front leg and foot at impact -- the left leg, if you're right-handed.

Step 5

Practice keeping your head still to help you hit the ball squarely. Take a 5-iron and hit some practice shots completely flat-footed, which makes it easier to keep your head in place as you swing. As you become used to keeping your head still, you can lift the outside edge of your front foot during the backswing and the outer edge of your back foot during the downswing. Gradually lift more of your feet until you're taking a normal swing, but continue to focus on keeping your head still.

About the Author

M.L. Rose has worked as a print and online journalist for more than 20 years. He has contributed to a variety of national and local publications, specializing in sports writing. Rose holds a B.A. in communications.

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